The End
by Boxcar
Summary: Jimena is no longer a Daughter...but does that mean she will forget her past?
1. Default Chapter

The musky smell of moonlight whipped around the Killingsworth house. Serena was filled with an unrecognizable emotion she kept masked by her impassive face: fear. One look at Jimena and she knew that the lives of the Daughters would never be the same. She stole a quick glance at her brother, Collin. He seemed to be rifling through the possibilities as well.  
  
Jimena began to notice the stares encircling her. She bent over her cake. What was happening to her? Why couldn't she remember anything?  
  
"What is it, guys?" The unmistakable sadness overcame her as she picked at her food with a long, silver-painted fingernail. She was not one to play around.  
  
"Nothing, we're just so happy that it's your birthday," Vanessa lied. One look at her face betrayed the truth: something was very wrong. She couldn't put her finger on it, but somehow Jimena felt disconnected from her friends.  
  
"If you don't tell me what's going on right now, Voy a correr." Her throat tightened but she kept her words steady, focusing on the unblinking eyes of her best friend Serena.  
  
Serena hesitated. What were the consequences of telling Jimena the truth? Maggie had never said what would happen if the Daughters reminded Jimena of her past life. The question was, would Jimena believe her?  
  
Catty seemed to be thinking the same thing. She leaned over to listen to Tianna, who was fiddling nervously with her black hair. "Should we tell her?"  
  
"Tell me what?" Jimena snapped, and jumped up angrily. Her black leather jacket whipped dangerously around her slim body, and Serena caught a glimpse of the Goddess she once knew. She smiled sadly.  
  
"Nothing," answered Tianna. The tension was mounting. Collin stood up and took Jimena in his arms, comforting her with every ounce of his being. He willed himself to stay strong.  
  
"Let's just celebrate your birthday, mi bruja." He snickered lovingly. All of a sudden, he drew in his breath sharply. Bruja meant witch. That used to be his nickname for Jimena. What would she think now?  
  
But Jimena didn't seem to notice. She rocked slowly in Collins strong, surfer-boy arms. He smelled of salt and sand, and the wafting scent of icing traveled through the air. The Daughters breathed easier now. They knew they could count on Collin to fix the situation.  
  
"What do you say we go to Planet Bang and celebrate, eh?" shouted Tianna. The other Daughters whooped and cheered. "Yeah Jimena, what do you say?" remarked Vanessa. Their smiles revealed no disappointment, only infectious happiness. Jimena couldn't refuse. "Sure, mis chicas guapitas, vamonos!"  
  
The four remaining Daughters tumbled up the stairs, whisking Jimena up with their delightful squeals. They made it to Serena's room and began rummaging through her clothes. Serena pulled out a pink micromini, and a black aviator jacket with silver studs all over the back. A pair of black stiletto boots and some red spike gel completed her punk rocker look. Vanessa went classy, a long red dress with silver sequins dotted up the sides. Catty and Tianna matched each other, wearing skintight leather pants and gold and black halters. They looked every inch a Goddess.  
  
Jimena automatically felt inferior when she put on her camoflauge miniskirt and black tube top. Had it always been this way?  
  
Suddenly, a cold air whipped around the five girls, sending Jimena tumbling into Serena's red butterfly chair. The four Goddesses sensed something Jimena could not. What was there that Jimena could not see? 


	2. Stanton

Immmidiatley, Serena whisked Jimena in her arms. "Take her," she whispered urgently to Vanessa. Gently and swiftly as a cloud, Vanessa held tightly to Jimena and allowed her molecules to expand. Soon they were no more than specks of dust gliding down the stairs, and the only noise was a faint whimper of fright as Jimena became invisible. Not even my homegirls would believe this, she thought to herself as she coasted past Collin, who was leafing through a surfer mag. His ears seemed alert and his eyes darted nervously across the paper, as if he sensed what was happening upstairs. Before she had a chance to call out to him, Vanessa caught a breeze and they flew out Serena's open kitchen window.  
  
Upstairs, the three Goddesses were ready to attack. Their hair whipped dangerously around their shoulders and their moon amulets thrummed comfortingly around their necks.  
  
A shadow slowly spilled in fro the open window and manifested itself on Serena's disheveled, clothes-covered bed. Her eyes widened a bit as she realized who it was.  
  
"Stanton," she whispered. What was he doing here? Did it have to do with Jimena? Were the Goddesses in danger?"  
  
iDon't worry/i, he gently eased into her mind. iWhere are the other two?/i Rifling through his thoughts, Serena could tell that he liked her outfit. She shivered in a combination of pleasure and fright. Their relationship was forbidden. But her resistance was weakening.  
  
Catty broke the silence. "Okay Stanton, I don't care what you're doing to my girl here, you have ten seconds to explain yourself before you attack. You are on our turf now and I'll be damned if I don't try and get you out. I," she shot a warning glance at Serena, "am loyal to my cause." Stanton laughed slightly. Catty began to count, trying to calm her skaky nerves. Tianna held her hand as they began to build power.  
  
"Where are Jimena and Vanessa?" he asked. He could have easily red the Goddess' minds, but he didn't feel like breaking Serena's newly established trust.  
  
"You don't know?" Tianna asked, doubt sparkling in her green eyes. Stanton shook his head, but he was hardly believable. "I thought you were the Prince of Night," she quipped sarcastically.  
  
"Jimena's not a Daughter any longer," Serena breathed sadly.  
  
"Serena!" yelled Catty and Tianna in unison. Serena raised her arms in annoyance.  
  
"Guys, it's no use. He already knows about Jimena. He's here for something else." She didn't need to read his mind to know that. Stanton put a comforting arm around her shoulder and drew Serena towards her. She tried to resist, but he was so alluring. The other goddesses shuddered and began to build power steadily, preparing to attack. Stanton whispered a warning across their minds. /i, he scolded. Their eyes burned. "When one daughter is gone, the power of the others is greatly weakened," he stated pointedly. Serena looked up at him. "It is the end," he said with a sad smile. "You have no hope of defeating the Atrox now."  
  
"Of course we have hope! There is always hope!" yelled Tianna desperately. Serena stood in Stanton's arms, motionless.  
  
"Your pain will end if you surrender to me," he offered. "I am the Prince of Night..."  
  
"We know," snapped Catty. He ignored her.  
  
"...and as such, I will protect you. Together we can reunite good and evil, allow them to coexist." His words touched a nerve with Serena, who had recently begun to accept her dark side. But even Serena did not consider this possibility. She would fight forever, no matter what odds were against her and her friends. She was a Goddess, a Daughter of the Moon.  
  
"Get out of here!" Catty screeched. She lashed out with her power, but it did little to discourage Stanton. Tianna touched Catty's arm. "Let it be," she said softly. Catty narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.  
  
"You should go," said Serena. She opened her mind to him and told him silently, iWe'll talk later. I will not surrender to you, but I will never leave you. Don't betray me with this talk. Don't even tempt me./i His eyes were clear and vaguely luminescent in the Los Angeles night. iI'm not trying to betray you, I want us to be together,/i he pleaded. She shook her head. Her moon amulet glowed and he touched it, out of spite for himself. What felt like cold metal to her burned his flesh. He laughed, bitter and hollow. She caught a glint of sorrow in his darkened face.  
  
Suddenly, a sound from the yard snapped the girls to attention. Stanton dissolved into shadow and left as silently as he had come.  
  
Vanessa floated breathlessly into the room. She panted and heaved, eyes wild and distressed. Catty grabbed her arm and tried to sit her down. She shook her off.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Serena. Her eyes shined.  
  
"Jimena's gone," 


End file.
